Personal safety response system and method

Abstract

A personal safety response system comprises a wearable device to be worn by a user, the wearable device includes a speaker configured for generating audio notification, an exterior visual indicator configured for generating visual notification, a vibrator configured for generating haptic notification, a panic button, a radio frequency transceiver, and a controller configured to recognize a first set of predetermined conditions, and transmit a notification to a base telephone. The base telephone includes a radio frequency transceiver configured for two-way communication with the wearable device, and transmit and receive data over the telecommunication network and Internet, a memory, a processor configured to recognize a second set of predetermined conditions, and transmit a notification to the wearable device, a user input device configured to receive user input, and a display screen configured to display information associated with the notification transmitted to the wearable device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A personal safety response system, comprising:
 a wearable device to be worn by a user, the wearable device including:
 a speaker configured for generating audio notification; 
 an exterior visual indicator configured for generating visual notification; 
 a vibrator configured for generating haptic notification; 
 a panic button; 
 an antenna; 
 a radio frequency transceiver; and 
 a controller configured to recognize a first set of predetermined conditions, and transmit a first notification to a base telephone; 
 
 the base telephone including:
 an antenna; 
 a radio frequency transceiver configured for two-way communication with the wearable device, the radio frequency transceiver of the base telephone configured to transmit and receive data over a telecommunication network and Internet, wherein the radio frequency transceiver of the wearable device initially transmits data to the base telephone in a low power mode to conserve power usage, decreases power from the low power mode until bit errors and lost data packets occur, and then increases power until the transmitted data is received by the base telephone with minimal errors; 
 a memory; 
 a processor configured to recognize a second set of predetermined conditions, and transmit a second notification to the wearable device; 
 a user input device configured to receive user input; and 
 a text-to-speech function and a speaker configured to announce the second notification. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the base telephone further comprises a visual indicator configured to display information associated with the second notification transmitted to the wearable device. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller of the wearable device is configured to determine when the wearable device and the base telephone are separated by a distance near or greater than a predetermined limit for status and message alerts, and to generate an audio/visual/haptic notification to alert the user. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 3 , the controller further configured to record the time and date when the wearable device first became separated from the telephone by a distance near the predetermined limit, when the wearable device returned to less than the predetermined limit and the duration the wearable device was separated from the telephone by a distance near or greater than a predetermined limit for later analysis. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the wearable device is configured to perform an operational status check and transmit the operational status to the base telephone. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the wearable device is configured to determine a battery low status and transmit the battery low status to the base telephone. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the base telephone is configured to determine a battery low status and transmit the battery low status to the wearable device for notification to the user. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the wearable device is configured to recognize the panic button being activated, generate and transmit an emergency state notification to the base telephone, and the base telephone is configured to transmit an emergency state notification to a remote monitor. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the wearable device is configured to determine a user inactive status, transmit the inactive status to the base telephone and initiate at least one health measurement. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the wearable device is configured to determine a user fall status and transmit the fall status to the base telephone. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the wearable device is configured to determine a health condition associated with the user and transmit the health condition to the base telephone. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the base telephone is configured to recognize a scheduled calendar event, display information related to the scheduled calendar event, and transmit a calendar event notification to the wearable device for notification to the user. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 12 , wherein the base telephone is configured to communicate with a plurality of wearable devices each associated with a unique identifier. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the wearable device is configured to initiate at least one health measurement and if a measured value of the at least one health measurement is outside of a predetermined range, transmit an alert to a remote monitor. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one health measurement is a pulse measurement. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one health measurement is a blood pressure measurement. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one health measurement is a blood oxygen saturation measurement. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one health measurement is a breathing rate measurement. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one health measurement is a temperature measurement. 
     
     
       20. A personal safety response system, comprising:
 a wearable device to be worn by a user, the wearable device including:
 at least one of a speaker, visual indicator, and vibrator configured for generating audio, visual, and haptic notification; 
 a panic button; 
 an antenna; 
 a radio frequency transceiver; and 
 a controller configured to recognize a first set of predetermined conditions, and transmit a first notification to a mobile telephone having a memory encoded with a specialized personal safety response executable set of software instructions; 
 the mobile telephone being configured to: 
 perform two-way communication with the wearable device; 
 transmit and receive data over a telecommunication network and Internet; 
 recognize a second set of predetermined conditions, and transmit at least one of a second notification to the wearable device and a third notification to a remote monitor; 
 receive user input; and 
 display information associated with the second notification transmitted to the wearable device; 
 wherein the radio frequency transceiver of the wearable device initially transmits the first notification to the mobile telephone in a low power mode to conserve power usage, decreases power from the low power mode until bit errors and lost data packets occur, and then increases power until the transmitted first notification is received by the mobile telephone with minimal errors. 
 
 
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 20 , wherein the mobile telephone is further configured to audibly announce the second notification and associated information. 
     
     
       22. The system of  claim 20 , wherein the controller of the wearable device is configured to determine when the wearable device and the mobile telephone are separated by a distance near a predetermined limit, and to generate an audio/visual/haptic notification to alert the user. 
     
     
       23. The system of  claim 20 , wherein the wearable device is configured to perform an operational status check and transmit the operational status to the mobile telephone. 
     
     
       24. The system of  claim 20 , wherein the wearable device is configured to determine a battery low status and transmit the battery low status to the mobile telephone. 
     
     
       25. The system of  claim 20 , wherein the mobile telephone is configured to determine a battery low status and transmit the battery low status to the wearable device for notification to the user. 
     
     
       26. The system of  claim 20 , wherein the wearable device is configured to recognize the panic button being activated and to generate and transmit an emergency state notification to the mobile telephone; and
 the mobile telephone is configured to transmit an emergency state notification to the remote monitor. 
 
     
     
       27. The system of  claim 20 , wherein the wearable device is configured to determine a user inactive status and transmit the inactive status to the mobile telephone and initiate at least one health measurement. 
     
     
       28. The system of  claim 20 , wherein the wearable device is configured to determine a user fall status and transmit the fall status to the mobile telephone. 
     
     
       29. The system of  claim 20 , wherein the wearable device is configured to determine a health condition associated with the user and transmit the health condition to the mobile telephone. 
     
     
       30. The system of  claim 20 , wherein the mobile telephone is configured to recognize a scheduled calendar event, display information related to the scheduled calendar event, and transmit a calendar event notification to the wearable device for notification to the user. 
     
     
       31. A personal safety response method encoded as instructions stored in a memory device of a mobile telephone, comprising:
 performing two-way communication with a wearable device, and transmitting and receiving data over a telecommunication network and Internet; 
 recognizing one of a first set of predetermined conditions including low battery, incoming text message, incoming call, and calendar event; 
 transmitting a first notification to the wearable device and optionally transmitting a second notification to a remote monitor; 
 displaying information associated with the recognized predetermined condition; 
 receiving a third notification from the wearable device concerning one of a second set of predetermined conditions associated with the user, including low battery, panic button pushed, fall, inactivity, and health status; 
 displaying information associated with the predetermined condition notified by the wearable device; and 
 transmitting a fourth notification to the remote monitor; 
 wherein the transmitting steps include transmitting notifications initially in a low power mode to conserve power usage, decreasing power from the low power mode until bit errors and lost data packets occur, and then increasing power until the transmitted notification is received by the wearable device with minimal errors. 
 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 31 , further comprising modulating data transmission power to determine when the wearable device and the mobile telephone are separated by a distance near a predetermined limit, and to generate an audio/visual/haptic notification to alert the user. 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 32 , further comprising receiving an operational status report from the wearable device. 
     
     
       34. The method of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 receiving an incoming text message; 
 sending a notification to the wearable device; 
 displaying the text message; 
 and activating a text-to-speech function in response to a user input. 
 
     
     
       35. The method of  claim 31 , further comprising performing two-way communication with a plurality of wearable devices each associated with a unique identifier. 
     
     
       36. The method of  claim 31 , further comprising audibly announcing the third notification and associated information.